1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments of the present application relate to a system and method for indicating to a driver the overall efficiency of a vehicle.
2. Background Art
Vehicles, whether passenger or commercial, include a number of gauges, indicators, and various other displays to provide the vehicle driver with information regarding the vehicle and its surroundings. With the advent of new technologies, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), has come a variety of new gauges and information displays that help drivers to better learn the operation of these vehicles that utilize new technology. For example, many HEVs incorporate gauges that attempt to provide the driver with information on the various hybrid driving states. These gauges indicate to the driver when the vehicle is being propelled by the engine alone, the motor alone, or a combination of the two. Similarly, a display may indicate when the motor is operating as a generator, and is recharging an energy storage device, such as a battery.
With regard to HEVs, it is known that some drivers may not be able to achieve desired driving efficiency, in part because of driving habits. In many cases, drivers are willing to modify their behavior, but are unable to translate recommended techniques into real changes in their driving habits. Moreover, gauges or displays that fail to continually update the driver do not allow the driver to adapt their driving habits so as to achieve the most optimal overall efficiency.
Therefore, a need exists for an information display for a vehicle that facilitates efficient operation of the vehicle by indicating to a driver a direct correlation between vehicle operation and overall efficiency.